Loose-leaf binder



May 5, 1953 P. wlTz 2,637,326

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER Filed May 16, 1952 IN VEN TOR. 10H/LL /P W/ Zz' Patented May 5, 1953 UNITED STATESiPATENT .j oFFlcE 2,637,326 LoosrLLEar BINDER Phillip Witzfnenison, freir.v

Application May 16, 1952, Serial No. 288,149 '4 1 Claim. (Cl. 129-25) This invention relates to loose leaf binders and more particularly to a binder or cover for retaining paper sheets having printed or other matter thereon and constituting forms, tables, charts or other compilations of information, in close association with each other and with the binder and for protecting such sheets against damage.

Itis among the objects of the invention to pro vide an improved loose leai binder or cover which will engage sheets of sheet material, such as paper, along one edge oi each sheet and secure 'a plurality of sheets rrnly in the binder; which is entirely tree of all metal parts on its external surface; which, when closed, completely covers the sheets or leaves therein and is secured to the leaves in a manner to preclude loosening of the leaves in the binder and damagel to the leaves; which is exible in character and of light weight; and which is simple and dur-able in. construction, economical to manufacture, and neat and attractive in appearance.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claim in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of a loose leaf binder illustrative of the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional View on the line of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective View of the binder with the parts thereof in partly assembled condition to illustrate the relationship of the several parts to each other;

Figure s is a fragmentary cross sectional View on the line iltl oi Figure l; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line 5--5 of Figure 2.

With continued reference to the drawing, the binder has a two part back the two parts of which are generally indicated at lil and il respectively and are secured together by a hinge strip I2.

The back part lil includes a back board I3 of rectangular shape and formed of a stid sheet material,l such las heavy paper or compressed fibre,

resiliently resistant to bending and the part Il includes a back board Ill similar to the board I3. rThe two back boards i 3 and M are disposed in side by side and coterminous relationship with their adjacent edges in spaced apart and subf stantially parallel relationship and binding strips it and Iii extend respectively along the mutually adjacent edges oi the boards i3 and I 6l.

The binding strip I5 has a longitudinally eX- tending portion il overlapping and secured to 2 the board I3 along the edge of the latter adjacent the board it and has a doubled, longitudinally extending portion I8 extending angularly from the board I3 along the edge of the latter adjacent the board I4.

The binding strip I6 has a longitudinally extending portion I overlapping the board I@ along the edge of the latter adjacent the board I3 and a doubled, longitudinally extending portion 29 projecting angularly from the board ifa along the edge of the latter adjacent the board i3. The binding strip portions Il andY I9 yare disposed at corresponding sides of the boards I3 and Hl and the binding strip portions IB and 2d project from the same sides of the back boards and inwardly of the completed folder.

A stiiiening bar 2l of elongated, rectangular shapev extends through the doubled portion it of the binding strip I5 and this bar .andthe portion of the binding strip in which it is received are provdedwith spaced apart apertures 22 of elongated, rectangular shape. A stiiening bar 23, similar to' the bar 22, extends through the doubled portion of the binding strip 2d and the bar 23 and the bar-receiving portion of the binding strip 2d are provided with spaced apart apertures of elongated, rectangular1 shape, as illus-l trated in Figure 3, the apertures in the bar 23 and strip 2o being in alignment transversely of the two binding strips with corresponding apertures in the bar 22 and strip It.

The binding strips I5 and l i5 are provided along their adjacent longitudinal side edges with anges I'I and I9 respectively which are secured to the back boards I3 and id by wire staples 26S, as illustrated in Figure 4, which extend through the back boards and binding strips at spaced apart locations along the binding strips and the binding strips may also be cemented to the back boards, if desired.

The hinge strip I2 is a strip of flexible sheet material of elongated, rectangular shape and eX- tends across the space between the adjacent edges oi the back boards I3 and llt and marginally overlaps and is secured to the flanges I1 and i9 of the binding strips I5 and l@ secured to the back boards at the sides of thebinding strip portions remote from the corresponding back boards. An outer cover 25 extends over and is secured to the surface of the back strip i2 remote from the back boards I3 and Ill and the adjacent surfaces of the back boards, this cover being preferably cemented to` the back boards and the hinge strip. The back strip I2 covers all oi the staples 2t connecting the bind- J ing strips to the back boards so that no part of these metal staples is exposed at the outer side of the binder and all of the other metal parts of the binder are disposed within the binder.

Protecting strips 25 and 21 extend along the mutually adjacent edges of the back boards I3 land I4 respectively in overlapping relationship to the corresponding marginal portions of the back boards Aat the sides of the latter remote from the outer cover 25 and lining sheets 28 and 29, of sheet material of rectangular shape, cover and are secured to the surfaces of the backing boards I3 and I4 remote from the outer cover 25 and the surfaces of the protecting strips 26 'and 21 remote from the corresponding-back boards.

The lining sheets are preferably firmly cemented to the back boards and protecting strips, and the outer cover is likewise cemented to the back boards and to the hinge strips to complete- 1y cover and conceal the back boards.

Rivets 30 of well known construction, each including a pair of juxtaposed flat legs joined together at one end of the rivet and a head secured on the rivet at the end thereof at which the legs are joined together, extend through the aligned apertures in the binding strips I5 and I6 land are removable from the binding strips in order to remove sheets from or place sheets between the binding strips.

The sheets, as indicated at 3| in Figure 2. have apertures punched therein in spaced apart locations along the one longitudinal edge of each sheet and the sheets are placed in the binder with the edges thereof adjacent the apertures therein disposed between the portions I8 and 25 of the binding strips I5 and I6. with corresponding apertures in the several sheets in registry with each other and in alignment with the corresponding apertures in the binding strips and the stiffening bars 2I and 23. The rivets or staples 30 are then inserted through the registering apertures in the binding strips and the sheets and the ends of the legs of the rivets remote from the heads thereof are bent over, as shown in Figure 4, to firmly secure the sheets in the binder. The rectangular shape of the apertures in the binding strips and reinforcing bars 4 binder and the apertures in the sheets will not hold the rivets in a predetermined position relative to the binding strips and against any freedom of rotational movement so that the sheets are rmly held and cannot become loose in the be enlarged by the rivets.

I'he invention may be embodied in other specic forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claim are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

An extensible loose leaf binder comprising a pair of resilient coextensive stiffening bars having registering longitudinally spaced shank receiving openings extending therethrough, a binding strip of flexible material enclosing each stiffening bar, a flange carried by and extending outwardly from one longitudinal side edge of each binding strip, a back board adhesively and mechanically fastened to each flange and projecting outwardly from the longitudinal side edge thereof remote from its respective stiffening bar, said back boards being coextensive and adapted to cover leaves supported between the stiifening bars, a flexible protecting strip adhesively secured to each back board adjacent the edge thereof adjacent its respective binding strip and on the side of said back board remote from its respective flange for covering the mechanical fastening means, a lining sheet coextensive with and adhesively secured to each back board in covering relation to the protecting strip, a flexible hinge strip adhesively secured adjacent its longitudinal side edges to the flanges in covering relation to the mechanical fasteners, and a flexible cover adhesively secured to the back boards and to the hinge strip, and said cover having panels which are coextensive with the back boards.

PHILLIP WITZ.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 192,791 Russell July 3, 1877 274,429 Williams Mar. 20, 1883 1,293,807 Krohmer Feb. 11, 1919 1,683,975 Horn Sept. 11, 1928 1,689,401 McChesney Oct. 30, 1928 

